thanks for visiting cnnmoney. Olive Garden's neverending comeback - my dish olive garden darden restaurants

But the chain has changed dramatically over the past few months after a hedge fund took over the restaurant and messed things up.
Darton restaurant (DRI)
The parent company of Olive Garden announced stable revenue and sales on Friday.
Shares rose 4% to full
Time is high on the news.
Since radical investment firm Starboard won control of the company's board of directors and appointed a new CEO in October, the stock has now risen 40%.
Starboard last year put Denton on the task of feeling guilty about finances and cooking.
In a heavily worded slide presentation, Starboard laughed at the company's endless excess of bread sticks and said they hurt profits.
Starboard also complained that pasta was cooked in salt-free water and drowned in a sullen sauce.
Related report: How an activist fought the Olive Garden prompted me and my colleague Cristina Alesci to do our own taste test.
We are not big fans.
We openly doubt that Starboard will get the company back on track.
But Darton said on Friday that the Olive Garden reported a 2.
Up 2% year on year
Store sales this quarter.
This is the second consecutive quarter of growth. -
Things that have never happened since 2010.
The new management team of the company is obviously doing the right thing.
It made changes to the menu, including $9. 99 three-course dinner.
The Olive Garden is trying to emphasize its value, just like the famous pasta bowl.
Related reports: The Olive Garden is red and hot, which helps offset some of the effects of rising food costs.
In a conference call between the company and analysts, Darton's chief financial officer said the Olive Garden reduced food waste.
Customers of the Olive Garden will obviously stay here for a longer time as well.
New CEO Gene Lee said the company "saw a rebound in alcohol and dessert sales in Olive Garden for the first time in a long time.
"Part of the reason may be the job market and the recovery of the economy.
When people go out to eat, they may be willing to spend more money.
But if consumers don't drink Alfredo and bread sticks, they may also have more wine and space for tiramisu.
Olive Garden is good anyway.
So Kristina and I may have to eat some crows in Dayton and the Olive Garden. -
But we won't touch those fried lasagna anymore.